Child’s Play

Forty-eight grade school students got a taste of college life on Monday.

While children were out of school on the President’s Day holiday, Holy Cross professors and staff were offered the opportunity to bring their son or daughter to campus.

The Student Government Association created the Bring Your Child to Work Day program to show gratitude to professors and staff for their commitment to students, despite leading full family lives.

“We thought it would be a great way to show our appreciation,” says Shannon Green ’07, SGA chief of staff.

Modeled after the Ms. Foundation for Women’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work program, a day’s worth of events were scheduled to introduce the children to life on the Hill. The SGA, which plans to hold the program annually, proposed “following a schedule of activities to help the children experience Holy Cross and learn about the importance of a college education,” says Green. “And of course, the kids would get to have fun as they watch their parents go to work while they get to take the day off.”

The children enjoyed an assortment of activities, thanks to the collaborative work of Public Safety, the Dean’s Office, Dining Services, and Student Affairs. They saw campus landmarks, such as Dinand Library, St. Joseph’s Chapel, and Fenwick Hall, in a tour of the campus; enjoyed a discussion about life at Holy Cross that was held in the Senior Apartments; each received a “special” Holy Cross ID card; and completed a craft for their parent’s office. They reunited with their parent in Kimball Dining Hall for a meal of chicken fingers, hamburgers and ice cream.

But perhaps the most thrilling part of the day came when they met two men’s basketball team standouts, Kyle Cruz ’08 and Torey Thomas ’07.

Matt, 8, and Josh, 11, sons of Catherine Dumas, laboratory supervisor in the biology department, thoroughly enjoyed their day on campus. Matt even expressed interest in attending Holy Cross. “I would like to come here for college some day and be an archeologist when I grow up.” His brother Josh enjoyed the meal at Kimball and said “the food was really good and the students were very friendly.”